


Just the Way You Are

by kellebelle



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Fluff without Plot, I Tried, I'm Sorry, M/M, Please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me, Steve is awesome, SteveTonyFest, Tony Has Issues, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony hides his feelings, why do I try writing fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 22:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kellebelle/pseuds/kellebelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony was not entirely sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way he and Steve grew to like each other and ultimately became friends. Great friends. Thick as thieves. The whole shebang. And it was good. Really good. So good, in fact, that Tony had to go and fuck it all up by falling for the soldier. Not just a little, but head over heels, ridiculously, wanting to sing it from the rooftops, hopelessly in love with Steve Rogers</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just the Way You Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [death-by-avengers](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=death-by-avengers).



> Written for death-by-avengers for the SteveTonyFest.

Tony was not entirely sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way he and Steve grew to like each other and ultimately became friends. Great friends. Thick as thieves. The whole shebang. And it was good. Really good. So good, in fact, that Tony had to go and fuck it all up by falling for the soldier. Not just a little, but head over heels, ridiculously, wanting to sing it from the rooftops, hopelessly in love with Steve Rogers.

Well shit.

This was not good. Tony knew himself and he knew that all it would take is one slip for him to destroy the friendship he’d developed with the super soldier. It was enough because Steve Rogers saw past the bullshit and still wanted to be friends with him anyway.

For the past couple of weeks, Tony had been designing several new electronic devices, creating prototypes after staying up three days straight, moving fluidly from one project to the next. He couldn’t rest, wouldn’t rest, until he was satisfied with what he had created. There was the usual cell phone/tablet combination because it was pretty run of the mill except better than all the others because it was created by a Stark. He’d also designed a better engine for the quinjet, a pair of patent pending hover sneakers based on his repulsor technology but without the punch his gauntlets produce (for obvious reasons and there were also a lot of safety issues he still needed to work out, but whatever because it was still in the early stages) and maybe a type of fabric that either cooled or heated the body depending on what it needed, already knowing what temperatures fell under the parameters of safe and dangerous in any situation. The fact that it was the same shade of blue as Steve’s suit and possibly already created to fit the soldier perfectly meant nothing at all. Nope. Not a thing.

After an ungodly amount of time spent working, Tony was greeted by a hand falling heavily on his shoulder that caused him to jump slightly, quickly turning to put a face to the hand. Steve. He should have known. 

The Avengers all had their tactics; Clint was always obnoxiously throwing things at Tony from a distance, Natasha crept in and stared him down until he backed out of the room like the giant coward he was, Bruce always ended up distracting him with other science-y things that were not anywhere near his workshop, J.A.R.V.I.S. alerted Tony anytime Thor was coming close, especially when he was carrying his hammer. 

Steve was the one who would have to bodily drag him out though, Tony protesting not so adamantly because it was Steve and Tony was going to take what he could get because he was, above all else, a selfish asshole.

“You should come and eat now.”

“Steve!” He gave the soldier a smile. “Just the man I wanted to see. I made some things! Lots of things actually. Come take a look.”

Steve looked as if he was about to protest but then stopped himself before gave Tony his own smile. “All right.”

Tony loved trying to impress Steve. The billionaire knew he was full to the brim on faults and he knew Steve knew them too, but impressing Captain America was sort of at the top of his list of good things. Maybe he could blind Steve with his awesomeness and make him forget about the fact that Tony was an alcoholic with enough psychological daddy issues to fill the DSM-IV. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Steve was capable of seeing past all of that, but this was Tony and it was sort of hard to get past in the first place. His issues were less of a speed bump and more of a brick wall.

“I made this cell phone slash tablet with you in mind. It’s nearly indestructible and can not only be used for basic functions like calling people, texting, and taking pictures but can also be programmed to turn on the microwave or coffee maker just to name a few. And that’s just the small stuff. I’ll let you find out the really cool stuff for yourself.”

He was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, hands shoved into his pocket and smiling proudly. Steve gave the phone some consideration and smiled briefly before setting it down. Tony tried not to let this bother him by moving on to the next thing.

“Okay this isn’t just for you, but I’ve completely redesigned the quinjet engine. I uh...well I can show you in detail if you want to. It is just a more efficient engine, more practical, a few extra punches the current one lacks.”

Steve peered at the holographic image in front of him as it slowly spun around so he could see it at all angles. He had a pinched look between his eyebrows and Tony was losing confidence.

“I have some hover shoes here. That’s more for mass production and a much smaller scale version of repulsor technology. It still has too many flaws in it though, so I’m not going to waste a lot of time on trying to impress you with it.”

“Huh. Well it’s all real...swell.”

“I haven’t shown you the best part though.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

Tony held up the new fabric and smiled. “Tada.”

Steve was now looking extremely confused, but Tony was betting on it.

“It’s an undershirt you can wear with your suit or even just on a normal day, but I sort of imagined it being good for missions and such when we have rough weather conditions. For example, if we end up fighting in the middle of the desert, which is never fun, the special fibers woven in have the capability of cooling the body at a gradual rate. Or-or if we end up in Antarctica because some villain is an asshole and we need to fight evil there, this can warm up and keep the body heated, temperature regulated. And I know, I know that extreme temperatures are not well fought with extremes in the reverse. It can cause shock or heart attacks or something. It’s just enough to ensure that you won’t uh--die?”

By this point Steve’s eyebrows were raised and he was just staring at Tony. He still looked confused.

“You don’t like it?”

Silence. “It’s great, Tony. It really is, but why are you creating so much more lately?”

“Don’t you like to have nice things?”

“Sure, but I don’t need them.”

Tony looked away then and nodded. “I went too far, didn’t I? I can scrap these.”

“What? No. I don’t mean that. It’s just--” He paused. “You said something about trying to impress me, but I’ve never thought of these things that I might need. I’m grateful for everything you do for me, for us, but I like it when you are just you.”

“This is just me though, Steve.”

“No. No it’s not. Our dinner and movie nights are what I look forward to. I like having your full attention when we’re doing something together. I think what I’m trying to say is that I think you’re creating some amazing, really impressive things, but you’re sort of amazing just on your own. Do you understand? I love watching you at work, but I also love it when you take time away from your busy life to buy me some dinner and sit down to watch a current film with me. I know your time is booked, but that’s what I look forward to the most.”

“So you don’t like it?”

“You would hear it that way.” He sighed and put both of his hands on Tony’s shoulders. “I love it. I think they’re great. I already said that. You don’t get enough sleep, you hardly eat, and I worry about you. I’d rather see you taking care of yourself than working yourself to death because you think that impressing me is the only way to get me to like you.”

Whoa. What? Tony’s head jerked up and he frowned at Steve. “Why would--?”

Steve smiled. “Because I know you, Tony Stark. I know you don’t have very little self-worth and you’re the most reckless human being I’ve ever met. Did you stop to think that if impressing me was the only way to get me to like you that maybe I wouldn’t really be worth your time? Come on.”

“No. Okay I mean, yes, but that’s--I like doing these things.”

The soldier nodded. “I know. And I love that. You always think of other people first.”

Tony laughed out loud at that. “All I ever think about is me.”

“Why are you doing this? What for?”

“For...you. It’s for you. I have this idea in my head that I can look past this ridiculous crush I have on you so you won’t ever find out, except now you know so that makes it pointless, but really it’s because I’d rather keep you as a friend because I’m selfish and I will take what I can get when I get it.”

“That’s silly. Why do you think you’d lose me as a friend?”

Tony sighed and cringed. “Did you not hear the part where I said I have a crush on you? That changes everything.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a crush on you? Why do you keep making me say it? It’s not like I meant for it to happen. Are you laughing at me?”

Steve bit his lip to stop himself and shook his head. “No. Yes. You’re such an idiot.”

“Oookay?”

Shoulders slumping a little, he tilted his head, still grinning. “I guess everyone else was right. And you know what? I’m glad they were.”

“About?”

“Never mind. We can keep pining after each other in secret if you want, but I’d sort of like to kiss you now.”

After a long moment of silence in which Tony was sure he could have caught flies in his mouth because of how far his jaw had dropped, he picked up the remnants of what little dignity he had left. “I can give you a list of fifty reasons why I’m the worst person for you to be with.”

“I’m sure you can, but I don’t want to hear them. They don’t matter. I wasn’t exactly expecting you to feel the same way about me, but I’m going to take what I can get too. We both have plenty of faults, but you’re more than just those faults. I see just as many good things about you as you see bad about yourself.”

“You have defective vision then. You’re an old man. It happens.”

Steve laughed softly and pulled Tony into a kiss before the man could keep talking. Tony would most likely never admit that he screamed like a teenage girl on the inside. He was going to take what he could get so he responded to the kiss almost immediately. Maybe he lived in a world where Steve Rogers wouldn’t get tired of him, wouldn’t leave him, but he was too scared to actually hope for that. Living in the moment was what this was about. Perhaps it’d take him somewhere great, as long as Steve was with him.

When they finally pulled apart, both smiling like huge dorks, J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted their moment by announcing that “Master Barton has asked me to inform you that it is about fucking time.”


End file.
